The surface of a disk used for the magnetic storage of data must be free of defects which could cause errors to occur. Great care is exercised in the manufacture of such disks to assure that defects do not exist or, if they do exist, that they are so small that they do not create errors in the recording or reproduction process. This is only part of the problem since defects can be created on the disk even after the manufacturing process is complete. A source of post manufacturing defects is the contact between the head and the disk which occurs when the disk is not rotating at a speed sufficient to cause the heads to fly.
In the prior art systems, the carriage assembly is usually fastened down to prevent motion during the period the unit is in transit between the manufacturing site and the customer's place of installation. The fastening devices used for this purpose involve screws or other elements which require human intervention. Once at the customer's site, the fastener is released and seldom used again because it is not the type of fastener or operation that the customer is likely to be familiar with.
The prior art disk files have tended to be rather large and expensive units. As a result, they were seldom moved once they were installed. However, disk drives have become progressively smaller and lighter. This has led to the situation where they are frequently moved about in the customer's office or computer room. It is this sort of movement, from one side of a room to another or out the door and down the hall, that causes the heads to ride back and forth across the disk in contact with the recording surface to create defects in the recording media. The mechanism by which defects are created includes gouging and scraping from particles in contact with both the head and the disk as well as the direct contact of the head with the disk surface.
The present invention allows the disk file to be conveniently moved by a person having no technical training without danger of having the recording heads slide in contact with the disk.